Related Stories

Topics:

Hamas Interior Minister Fathi Hamad marked the anniversary of the December 2008-January 2009 "Gaza War" with Israel by telling Palestinians that they would fully liberate the entirety of "Palestine" within eight years.

According to Hamad, Islamic prophecies foretell that Israel will be replaced with a Palestinian state. This goal, the destruction of the Jewish state, "will take eight years," he explained.

Hamad insisted that there was a reason past Israeli military operations, like the 2008-2009 Operation Cast Lead, had failed to quell the Palestinian movement to eliminate Jewish sovereignty.

Once the Muslims have their final victory, Hamad said the "Hittin" principle would prevail. It was a reference to Saladin's conquest of the Holy Land from the Crusaders beginning in 1187 with his victory at the Battle of Hittin in northern Israel. Saladin's forces either enslaved or put to death all non-Muslims.

Many Israelis and Israeli officials say Western peace brokers are naive, at best, and willfully ignorant, at worst, to believe Hamas and its long-term goal can simply be ignored in the course of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

Want more news from Israel?Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates